The portrait shows Margaret Tyrrell, wife of Thomas Tyrrell of Herongate near Brentwood. She was related to Heron Family who owned the manor of Aldersbrook in Little Ilford in the early 16th century. In the top left hand corner of the portrait the artist has painted its date, 1581 and her age at the time, 38 years. She is dressed in her finest clothes. Notice the pearls and gold thread on her head-dress, the fine lace ruff at her neck and the silver and gold thread embroidery on her bodice beneath her heavy gold chains.

Very few 16th century people would have been able to afford to have a portrait painted. The fact that she could and the richness of her fashionable clothing show that she came from a wealthy family.

HMS Thunderer was the last ship to be built by the Thames Iron Works Shipbuilding & Engineering Company of Victoria Dock Road, Canning Town.

‘Thunderer' was launched on 1st February 1911 and at 22,500 tons was the largest ‘dreadnought' afloat, she went down river to the specially built Thunderer Jetty at Dagenham Dock to be fitted out as she was to big for the Royal Docks,

She went on to fight at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and was armed with ten 13.5-inch guns in pairs and sixteen 4-inch guns. ‘Thunderer' remained in service after the end of the Great War and was decommissioned in 1921. She was used as a cadet training ship from 1921 until being sold for scrap on 27 December 1926.

My grandparents, Bill and Emma Taylor with baby William, their first child. 

Nan was born in Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in 1886 and granddad in Greenwich in 1883. They met in the Greenwich foot tunnel and were married by special licence a few weeks later, that was in 1904 and Nan was just 17 years old.

They came to live in Hermit Road, Canning Town in 1905 where baby William was born and sadly died 15 weeks later. They had another fifteen children, one of whom also  died in infancy. My mum who was the youngest was born in 1928.

Photo: Private family collection

Here's my uncle Jack Taylor standing in the doorway of the family's rag shop in Ordnance Road, Canning Town in 1936. The shop, which was originally a bakers was bought by my grandfather in 1916. He ran a very successful business from here and another property and warehouse in Trinity Street.

There were 14 children in the family, not including the two babies who died in infancy.  My mum was born in the room above the shop in 1928 and I lived there for the first six years of my life. We finally moved out in 1957 when the shop was compulsory purchased by the council in the slum clearance.

Photo: Private family collection

This photo shows three of my aunts, Violet aged 11, Winnie aged 14 and Doris Taylor aged 17 of No.2 Trinity Street and Mrs Abbott a neighbour and family friend.   It was the 12th May 1937 and Trinity Street in Canning Town held a large street party for the coronation of King George VI.  The front of every house was decorated and bunting and flags were stretched across the road all the way down the street.

Jean Brewis sent us this charming photo of a childrens Christmas party at Beckton Gasworks in 1958. Every child received a wrapped present, you can see them piled up on the stage in the background. I wonder what they contained?

Many of the large factories in the area held similar events for the children of their workers. If you went to one of these parties we would love to hear your memories.

 Photo: Private family collection

Here we see the young Powell brothers outside their home at No.89 Roman Road, East Ham. If you have any memories of the Powell family do let us know.

Photo: Private family collection

This photograph shows my brother Richard Charles Tucker sitting in Class 3 at Water Lane School. He looks about 8 years old in this photo.

My family lived in Stratford and father worked for the Great Eastern Railway at Stratford Works as a carriage examiner. My brother was born in 1922 and my sister Betty in 1924, then I came along ten years after that. We all went to the same school, which at that time was for boys and girls - but no mixed classes.

Richard is sitting on the right in the second row from the top, the second one in, wearing his jacket. He is smiling but take a look at the faces of the other boys, they don't look very happy. Some are not wearing socks and most of them are not wearing jackets.

The two men at the back look quite stern - is one the teacher and one the headmaster? Were you in this class or perhaps a member of your family were?

Remember a young boy singing at a concert in the assembly hall at Hartley infant and junior school, East Ham E6 in 1971?  Please contact

tele:07974093320 or e-mail thomas-mitchell@live.co.uk